These 5 Students Will Change the Course of Tomorrow

December 11, 2017

As a group of young people, we love working with students who are also passionate about service work. Our fall interns have been a driving force behind many of our projects and share our need to create a better world. We want to introduce you to these five high school and college students who have been a part of our team for the past few months. It has been our pleasure to guide this dream team to realize their potential and spark their interest in international development.

I recognized young people doing such great work alongside their busy daily lives and it gave me inspiration to get involved and make a difference!

What is something that you’re working on right now with All We Are?

My internship project! I am organizing an assembly at my school to spread awareness and get more kids my age excited for volunteer work. I want to let my classmates know just how fortunate we are to have easy access to education and feminine hygiene products.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I love exercising and spending time with my pets!

What do you think you have learned so far by working with All We Are?

Young girls all over the world are in need of empowerment and education. Also, it is never too late to start something new and exciting to help others.

Why do you think it’s important for young people to get involved in charity?

Giving back helps us stay humble and grateful. How do we expect our society to improve if we all aren’t contributing in some way?

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Stabilized in my career and traveling the world.

BEN MASTROROCCO

School: Quaker Valley High School

Hometown: Sewickley, Pennsylvania

Team: Engineering

“Be truthful, gentle, and fearless.” – Mahatma Ghandi

Why did you want to work with All We Are?

I am very interested in renewable energy. I heard that All We Are is using renewable energy to empower students in Uganda and I decided to do what I could to help.

What is something that you’re working on right now with All We Are?

I am trying to learn about how our solar systems work so I can help the team trouble shoot problems.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I play guitar and hang out with my friends. It is my senior year of highschool so I am also making an effort to go to all of my school’s sporting events.

What do you think you have learned so far by working with All We Are?

I have learned that nobody has an excuse not to be the change they want to see in the world. Before I met Nathan, I felt powerless to change the world in a meaningful way. All We Are is proof that everyone has the power to change the world no matter who they are or how old they are.

Why do you think it’s important for young people to get involved in charity?

It gives young people a better global perspective of how our lives compare to the lives of people living in other parts of the world.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I want to be a Chemical Engineer figuring out a way to make renewable energy more cost effective and ubiquitous.

GABBY ADAMS

School: Carrboro High School

Hometown: Carrboro, North Carolina

Team: Kickin’ It Back/Water

“Here are the values that I stand for: honesty, equality, kindness, compassion, treating people the way you want to be treated and helping those in need. To me, those are traditional values.” – Ellen DeGeneres

Why did you want to work with All We Are?

It was empowering for me as a young person, to see other young people who share my passion for helping people. Participating in something that could really have a positive impact on our world inspired me to want to work with All We Are.

What is something that you’re working on right now with All We Are?

As of now I am the president of an All We Are club at my high school! We focus on fundraising for various projects, specifically water. We are also helping with the drafting process for the water needs assessment.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I like playing sports, painting and thrift shopping.

What do you think you have learned so far by working with All We Are?

I have learned so much from working with All We Are. I have learned that there is a right and wrong way nonprofits can help other people, how to successfully organize a fundraiser, and I also have begun harnessing my public speaking skills. Most importantly this internship with All We Are confirmed my belief that change truly does start with us.

Why do you think it’s important for young people to get involved in charity?

I think a couple of things our society lacks are compassion and understanding. Charity is a great way to gain perspective on both of these. Charity allows us to understand how others live, hopefully instilling a gratefulness inside of themselves for their good fortune. It is important to do things for others and charity allows people to help their global community.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Helping people to improve their lives in some form.

JESSICA JOYCE

School: High Point University

Hometown: West Hartford, CT

Team: Every Girl.

“Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.” – Maya Angelou

Why did you want to work with All We Are?

I love that All We Are is getting my generation more involved in service. I wanted to be a part of the Every Girl. team in particular because women’s education shouldn’t be a privilege any longer, anywhere in the world.

What is something that you’re working on right now with All We Are?

Right now the Every Girl. team is working on the last few educational pamphlets to finish up our successful first year! Then we can begin to think about the future of the program, which will hopefully include the development and production of biodegradable pads.

What do you like to do in your free time?

In my down time, I’m usually reading or spending time with friends and family.

What do you think you have learned so far by working with All We Are?

I’ve learned that understanding, and respecting, different cultures is vital in communicating. When creating educational pamphlets for the young girls in Uganda, I quickly realized the way we approach concepts must take into consideration their different experiences.

Why do you think it’s important for young people to get involved in charity?

It’s important for young people to get involved in charitable causes because it promotes the experience of empathy and it is never too early to learn this. Always pay it forward!

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

It’s hard to think this far in advance because I’m still young and open to anything, but in 10 years I hope to be in love with my job and happy with the life I am living.